title: Ginkgo biloba, a free oxygen radical scavenger, affects inflammatory mediators to diminish the occurrence of experimental myringosclerosis.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Systemic Ginkgo biloba extract treatment reduces the levels of nitrite/nitrate, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase and increases the levels of glutathione peroxidase. By scavenging free oxygen radicals, ginkgo extract prevents the formation of myringosclerosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to evaluate inflammatory mediators to determine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of Ginkgo biloba extract to diminish myringosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty Wistar Albino rats, weighing 320-400 g were used. The upper posterior quadrants of both tympanic membranes were myringotomized and divided into four groups. Ginkgo biloba extract was given orally to groups 1 and 2 comprising eight rats with doses of 100 mg/kg/day and 200 mg/kg/day, respectively. Seven rats in group 3 received 1.5 ml/day saline and seven rats were left untreated. After 10 days of treatment, otomicroscopic evaluation of tympanic membranes and measurement of anti-inflammatory mediators such as superoxide dismutase, nitrite/nitrate, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Myringosclerosis was significantly more severe in control and saline groups than in Ginkgo biloba groups. The levels of nitrite in ginkgo-treated groups were significantly lower than in untreated and saline-treated groups, while glutathione peroxidase levels were significantly higher. The levels of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase were lower in ginkgo groups but not significantly.
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology ENT Clinic, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zeynep Kizilkaya
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Kaptan
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Emir
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gocmen
authors.forename: Hakki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uzunkulaoglu
authors.forename: Alparslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karakas
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Senes
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D010936:Plant Extracts